No child [is] too old to receive support.

What is the issue that is most important for you? What does your issue mean for you as a teacher, and the tamariki you teach?

Having the time and information to provide and apply for funding, resources (human & physical), transition visits into, within & beyond for tamariki that require additional support.

What will it take to fix the issue you have identified?

Form filling is a barrier! Professional time to complete forms; release while working to do proper observations and collect data to support applications; training and examples in filling in forms like ABCD – we are not mind readers!

We have found because we are so strengths based in our sector we tend to fill forms in and get denied funding due to ‘the form filling’ not the actual need of the tamaiti/whānau! There are no guidelines on at what age applications can be applied for -e.g. recently we were informed by the MOE that a child at 4.3 was too old to receive help. That child has only been with us for 8months and the first few months were settling followed by observations and then the intense process of completed forms and applications to then be told they were too old?

When we fix your issue, what impact will that change have on you as a teacher, and the tamariki you teach?

All tamariki will have full access to the funding they generate and deserve. We will be working with tamariki in real time when they need it. No child will be too old to receive support. We know the difference and impact we can have on learning and development under the age of 7! More funding will be released to support ALL under the age of 7!